{"id":50085,"date":"2026-05-11T21:23:57","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T18:23:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mk.gen.tr\/exps-next-act-maximum-optionality-for-agents-and-brokers-says-leo-pareja\/"},"modified":"2026-05-11T21:23:57","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T18:23:57","slug":"exps-next-act-maximum-optionality-for-agents-and-brokers-says-leo-pareja","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mk.gen.tr\/tr\/exps-next-act-maximum-optionality-for-agents-and-brokers-says-leo-pareja\/","title":{"rendered":"eXp\u2019s next act: \u2018Maximum optionality\u2019 for agents and brokers says Leo Pareja"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cOur first quarter results exceeded our revenue expectations as agent productivity continues to increase,\u201d said Leo Pareja, CEO of eXp Realty. eXp World Holdings<\/strong> reported strong first quarter results as the company continued to emphasize agent productivity and operational efficiency \u2014 while moving to broaden its business model through the acquisition of national franchise brand NextHome<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The company reported first quarter revenue of $1 billion, up 5% year-over-year from $954.9 million, while adjusted EBITDA rose 88% to $4.1 million.<\/p>\n

Operating expenses declined 3% to $84.1 million, reflecting cost-cutting measures implemented over the past year. Real estate sales<\/a> volume increased 5% to $40.7 billion \u2014 while transaction sides climbed 2% to 91,598.<\/p>\n

Agent count on the eXp Realty<\/a><\/strong> platform grew 1% year-over-year to 82,332 agents and brokers as of March 31.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have always been a company built by agents, built for agents, and this quarter we\u2019ve taken a meaningful step in broadening that mission,\u201d says Pareja. \u201cThe addition of NextHome creates maximum optionality across our platform.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis multi-model approach serves the full spectrum of real estate entrepreneurs on a single, unified global platform that empowers every agent to grow their business on their own terms.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chief Financial Officer Jesse Hill said the company\u2019s profitability improvements were driven in part by streamlining efforts initiated in 2025.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore recently, we executed the strategic NextHome acquisition using cash on hand and zero debt,\u201d he said. \u201cMoving forward, we remain committed to maintaining our financial discipline, with an acute focus on continued operational efficiency and cost management.\u201d<\/p>\n

NextHome acquisition expands options<\/h2>\n

The acquisition of NextHome<\/a> marks a significant strategic shift for eXp, which built its brand around a cloud-based brokerage model.<\/p>\n

The addition of a franchise platform gives the company access to brokerages and agents<\/a> that may not have previously aligned with eXp\u2019s structure, leaders said.<\/p>\n

NextHome has more than 500 franchisees across the United States and will continue operating its franchise brand within the eXp ecosystem.<\/p>\n

During the earnings call, Pareja described the acquisition as a way to broaden the company\u2019s appeal to independent brokerages<\/a>, franchise operators and larger office structures looking for alternatives in a changing industry landscape.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have over 87,000 agents,\u201d Pareja said. \u201cWe hope to attract more top tier franchisees, as many of them woke up in the last 12 months owned by a new entity that may not be reflective of their views on the industry when it comes to consumers and transparency. Previously, we missed out on attracting indies and entire offices suited for the franchise model, but now we can welcome them.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said eXp already sees momentum from brokers exploring alternatives to traditional franchise systems \u2014 pointing to the addition of a California broker operating in California\u2019s Gold Coast region.<\/p>\n

Hill said the franchise structure also provides a different financial profile from eXp\u2019s traditional brokerage operations.<\/p>\n

\u201cFranchise offers very predictable, recurring revenue over the multi-year terms and the contracts,\u201d he said. \u201cThen, they typically have higher gross margins, as well, especially NextHome. (It\u2019s a) very asset light, very aligned to the eXp model, even though we\u2019re slightly different in the offering between franchise and brokerage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Building a \u2018multi-model\u2019 platform<\/h2>\n

eXp World Holdings founder and CEO Glenn Sanford framed the acquisition as part of a broader effort to position eXp as a diversified operating platform for agents and brokers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the acquisition of NextHome, eXp World Holdings has evolved into a borderless, multi-model leader,\u201d Sanford said. \u201cThis strategic move, punctuated by our new ticker \u2018AGNT,\u2019 reflects our position as a forward-thinking operating platform built to power the modern agent. By integrating a best-in-class franchise vehicle into our technology-driven ecosystem, we are providing the infrastructure for agent entrepreneurs to scale without the traditional friction of brick-and-mortar overhead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sanford added that the acquisition strengthens the company\u2019s long-term resilience by diversifying the types of businesses and agents it can support.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis evolution makes our entire network more valuable for everyone, creating a more durable organization designed to thrive throughout any market cycle,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Executives repeatedly emphasized the idea of \u201coptionality\u201d during the call \u2014 arguing that the addition of a franchise model allows eXp to serve agents ranging from solo producers to teams, independent brokerages and franchise operators.<\/p>\n

Pareja said the company deliberately targeted a growing franchise organization rather than a legacy brand experiencing contraction.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe specifically went for a young, growing, well recognized, highly rated franchise system,\u201d Pareja said. \u201cI see this opportunity where these companies that are legacy players, that are now owned by new ownership, are seeing contraction, and that created a massive opportunity for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Focus on productivity and retention<\/h2>\n

Executives also highlighted continued gains in agent productivity and retention among top-performing agents.<\/p>\n

According to the company, agents on teams are 78% more productive than individual agents \u2014 while 41% of new agents joining eXp during the quarter were affiliated with teams.<\/p>\n

Pareja said retention remains strongest among high-producing agents.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe continue to see high retention rates among the most productive agents, with attrition in the low- to mid-single digits with agents with over eight transactions a year,\u201d he said. \u201cFor agents with transactions over eight transactions per year, the more productive an agent is, the less likely they are to leave.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf the nonproductive agents that left eXp in the first quarter, 66% of them left the industry altogether.\u201d<\/p>\n

The company projected second-quarter revenue between $1.36 billion and $1.45 billion and reaffirmed its full-year outlook of $4.85 billion to $5.15 billion in revenue.<\/p>\n

Executives acknowledged continued macroeconomic uncertainty but said company plans remain focused on disciplined growth, technology investments and multi-model recruiting opportunities.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe more that we can expose agents to how to think better and how to operate better, it just raises, for lack of a better term, the consciousness of the entire organization,\u201d said Sanford. \u201c[It does that] in a way where we\u2019re again more aligned, more connected [and have a] shared vocabulary and shared ways of doing things that just kind of reinforce themselves.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, I always think about the fact that eXp, really, has been historically a personal development company that just happens to sell real estate.\u201d<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cOur first quarter results exceeded our revenue expectations as agent productivity continues to increase,\u201d said Leo Pareja, CEO of eXp Realty. eXp World Holdings reported strong first quarter results as the company continued to emphasize agent productivity and operational efficiency \u2014 while moving to broaden its business model through the acquisition of national franchise brand…<\/p>","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mk.gen.tr\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50085"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mk.gen.tr\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mk.gen.tr\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mk.gen.tr\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50085"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mk.gen.tr\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50085\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mk.gen.tr\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50085"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mk.gen.tr\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50085"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mk.gen.tr\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50085"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}